This easy Carne Picada recipe is one of our favorite family meal recipes with tender beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, poblano pepper, and spices. It makes incredible tacos or as a main dish with rice. Awesome for meal prep!
This recipe was first posted on August 4, 2022 and last updated with clearer instructions on December 24, 2023.
With back-to-school fast approaching I’ve been thinking about some easy, family-friendly meals we can make (perhaps on the weekend) to pull out of the fridge for a quick dinner with tons of flavor.
I don’t always have the foresight to meal plan, let alone prep on the weekends but it’s nice to have at least a couple of ideas should the moment arise. This Carne Picada recipe is the perfect example of make-ahead goodness.
Like with a lot of Mexican food the braised cubes of chuck roast actually get more flavorful as it sits in the sauce then all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and reheat until warm in a large skillet on the stove or even in the microwave.
Did I mention this is a wonderful recipe for feeding a crowd? Cause it is. If you have a big family dinner coming up, consider serving Carne Picada tacos. They’re gluten-free and dairy-free which is a bonus if you’re serving people with different dietary needs. Just add your favorite taco toppings and voilà, dinner magic!
What Is Carne Picada?
Carne Picada literally translates to chopped meat but typically refers to a stewy dish of tender braised beef in a tomato-pepper sauce.
This is more of a Tex-Mex recipe than one from Mexico. You’ll find variations on this theme all over Texas, some dust the meat in all purpose flour first and use different spices like chili powder, black pepper paprika, garlic powder, etc.
Carne Picada is different from Carne Asada which is grilled steak and Carne Molida which is minced meat or ground beef.
Ingredients For Carne Picada
- Chuck roast. Some stores sell “carne picada beef” already chopped up but if not, just look for a nicely marbleized chuck roast and chop it yourself.
- Poblano peppers or Anaheim peppers or green bell peppers in a pinch.
- White onion
- Garlic
- Fire roasted tomatoes or diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- Canned chipotle peppers in adobo
- Beef broth
- Jalapeños
- Olive oil
- Sour cream and chopped cilantro, for serving (optional)
How To Make It!
step one
Cube Carne Picada Meat. To make this easy recipe start by cutting the chuck roast into 1-inch cubes. You could also cube bottom round roast or another cut of beef like brisket for this recipe.
step two
Prep veggies. Chop the onion, garlic, poblanos, jalapeños, and chipotle chiles.
step three
Brown meat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottom large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and the spice mixture and cook, searing the beef until browned, about 8 minutes. You may have to do this in batches if your pan is small.
step four
Sauté veggies. Add onions, garlic, jalapeños, poblanos, and chipotles and continue cooking until veggies start to get tender, about 10 minutes.
step five
Braise. Add broth and tomatoes. Reduce to medium heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes then uncover and continue to slowly cook until meat comes apart when pressed with a fork and sauce is thickened, about an hour and a half more.
step six
Serve. Spoon over rice for burrito bowls and top with sour cream and chopped cilantro or with warm corn tortillas for tacos topped with guacamole and queso fresco cheese.
*CHEF’S TIP: For best results, make a day in advance. It tastes even better the next day.
What To Serve With Carne Picada
It goes without saying that this recipe makes incredible tacos wrapped up in warm corn or flour tortillas. I add all my favorite toppings like shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, thinly sliced serranos, Cotija cheese, and a lime wedge or two for squeezing lime juice over the top.
I also like to serve this dish as a main course with a couple of different sides, especially a good rice dish that can soak up all those delicious juices for amazing rice bowls. Here are my favorites:
- Coconut Cilantro Rice
- Mexican Green Rice {Arroz Verde} (pictured)
- Vegan Refried Beans
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Papas con Chile {Crispy Potatoes in Red Sauce}
- Arroz Blanco {Mexican White Rice with Vegetables}
Storing and Freezing Tips
Let the Carne Picada cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight then reheat in a skillet until warmed through or in the microwave until hot.
Top 5 Most Popular Beef Recipes
- Tangy Beef and Green Tomato Chili
- Red Wine and Garlic Marinated London Broil
- Shredded Beef For Tacos {Carne Deshebrada}
- Classic Grilled Steak Fajitas
- Easy Instant Pot Barbacoa
You’ve Got To Make One Of Our Favorite Weeknight Meals
This is some seriously flavorful meat. Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Carne Picada
Carne Picada is one of our favorite family-meal recipes with tender beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, poblano pepper, and spices it makes incredible tacos or as a main dish with rice. Awesome for meal prep!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 2 medium poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 jalapeños, diced (remove seeds if you are sensitive to heat)
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped (depending on how spicy you like things)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- Sour cream and chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Brown beef. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan that is big enough to hold the meat. If you don't have a frying pan big enough use a large Dutch oven. Add beef, salt, cumin, and oregano and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned, about 8 minutes.
- Saute veggies. Add poblanos, onion, jalapenos, garlic, and chipotles and continue cooking until veggies begin to soften, about 10 minutes more.
- Braise. Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue simmering until beef comes apart when pressed with a fork and sauce is thickened, about an hour and a half more.
- Serve. Spoon over rice and top with sour cream and chopped cilantro or serve as tacos.
Notes
- For a spicier flavor: Increase the amount of chipotle chiles in adobo.
- Make ahead/Storage: Carne picada can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or frozne for up to 3 monthes. When reheating leftovers, add a splash of beef broth to keep the meat moist and maintain its flavor.
- Equipment: You can make this in a large frying pan with a lid or a Dutch oven.
- Beef: Look for a boneless chuck roast that is well marbled, meaning lots of lines of fat running through it. It will be more tender and juicy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 625Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 1006mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 58g
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Teresa says
I made this in the Instant Pot. I seasoned the meat with ancho chili powder onion powder garlic powder salt pepper oregano chili powder and coriander let sit. I then I sauted on High then I removed then sauted the onion peppers and jalapenos garlic. I then added 1 cup beef broth and scraped the bits off the bottom. I then added the beef back I did not stir I added the tomatoes and chipotle and adobo sauce. Set it on High pressure Cook closed vent and set for 45 minutes. Let cool down until pin dropped. I then set it to saute and reduced the sauce.
It was delicious I will make again. Thank you
Kate Ramos says
Thank you Teresa! This is awesome. I so appreciate you letting me know that it worked in the Instant Pot and how you did it!
Irene says
I just made the Carne Picada and it is fabulous. The flavor is outstanding. Thank you for sharing this recipe. What I love the most, is that it fits right into my keto life style. Served it over “cauliflower rice” it was delicious, thank you again for sharing!!
Kate Ramos says
You’ve made my day Irene! Thank you so much.
Jenn says
I cannot wait to make this. Yum.
Kate Ramos says
Please let me know what you think Jenn!
JennW says
I actually just posted my thoughts on this recipe. So very yummy.
JennW says
Wow. Just wow! I made this tonight and was blown away with the flavor in this stew. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. This was so flavorful, so hearty, so full of Mexican flavor. It reminded me of the time I spent in Guadalajara with a Mexican family. Thanks for the recipe. It’ll be a favorite of mine from now on.
Kim says
What a terrific recipe. This meat was so tender and flavorful, my family gobbled it all up – and I was hoping for leftovers! I guess I just have to make it again 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Kate Ramos says
Thanks so much Kim! I usually make a double batch when I make it so I can have leftovers because it does tend to disappear quickly.
Catherine says
Do you use roasted poblano peppers?
Kate Ramos says
Hi Catherine, Good question. No, I use raw, chopped poblano peppers. You could certainly roast them first if you prefer.